You wont get turned away untill you actually run a 13 second run, or tell the guys at tech that your car will run 13's. I got mine at a motorcycle dealer... But you can probably find much better prices online.

Basic safety rules apply. No cracked glass, must pass a safety check. Anything faster than 13.499 requires a helmet. Anything faster than an 11.499 require a roll bar. Items in the car such as a laptop should be secured but I think they'll let you slide unless you start running ridiculous times. I'll see if I can find out more info.

Also, with the helmet thing, it is probably best to buy local. If you order it and it comes the wrong size you're going to be sad.

I got my helmet at Indy Auto in Peabody but it wasn't in stock. I think it was $90 for a basic NHRA/DOT approved helmet, not a motorcycle helmet, no chin guard etc. It was actually nice to race NOT in a two-sizes small motorcycle helmet.

I would leave the laptop in the back seat. Remove any debris in the car that would fly around in a rollover. They check seatbelt, neutral saftey swith, tire tread, battery tie down and any other obvious things hanging or leaking. Some guys like to tell you to take off the lug nut covers, I dont know why. Other than that as long as you co operate and do what they say with no guff they will treat you well. Have fun!

there should be rules listed right on the street night tab...last I knew they had gone to a helmets for all rule when they went from IHRA to NHRA last year but I never raced last year. My recollection is any racer needed a helmet but at 13.99 is where said helmet had to be up to their current snell rating which again last I knew was snell 2005 , but I have had my snell 2005 helmet about 4 ot 5 years now so I bet there is a newer standard and if your buying a helmet getthe latest snell update so it will not be a paperweight when the next snell gets phased out.

I bought mine online for under $100 shipped , open face HJC , cheap helmet but if your just looking to pass tech it will do the trick google is your friend lol

make sure your tire tread is inspectable ( not to the wear bars) and no dry rot they enforce this on dr's as well as street tires , must pass state inspectability criteria on a street night

make sure battery is propelry secured

make sure radiater overflow system is fully functional

make sure the car cannot be started in gear - they always check this.

proper seat belt

dont tech with cable mod or anything else questionable do that in the pits after your first pass , I used to tech with street tires when my dr's were getting worn , no cable mod in place , no nitrous system installed in the car when using my portable kit which is not track legal etc...

always make sure your hood is fully closed by the time you round the corner from staging onto the track and do not move with hood open what so ever even in the pits they flip over that one....

these cars like fewer passes with longer cool downs usually though I have seen pb's on hot laps a couple times.

shallow stage for best et's

stay on gas through the traps to get accurate trap speeds which appear after et comes on screen

look to the end of your lane beyond traps to "square up" when staging and when going down the track to limit steering corrections - the quickest passes are always the most uneventful ones where it didnt seem like you had to do much , also when squaring up make sure your lining your tires up in the "groove" you can see where the majority of tread contact has taken place and thats where you want your tires to run.

one lane is always hooking up better than the other on a street night , typically the regulars will know this and be jockeying to get in the good lane which can change as people blow shit up or drag water on the track

leave on the 3rd yellow if you are shallow staged and if your rt's are still in the .1xx or higher range you can leave when the 2nd yellow goes out instead of the 3rd going on with these cars but be careful its real easy to leave when the 2nd comes on if your watching it , it takes patience to watch it go out and leave. I used this to gain a 1/2 to full second advantage over most on a street night that leave on the green - fun getting to the other end ahead of cars much faster than you without redlighting